Cleaning method and apparatus



June 11, 1935.

J. E. MARTIN CLEANING MEI-OD AND APBARATUS Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l '.z. E. MARTIN June 1l, 1935.

CLEANING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented `lune 11, 19.35

CLEANING' METHOD: PPARATUS John E. Martin, si. Louis, Mo., assigner, by mesne assignments, to The -Band Box Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January 18, 1930, Serial No. 421,852

3 Claims. This invention pertainsto apparatus -for cleaning fabric articles and more particularly for cleaning in special cleaning liquids, such as napli-v tha or the cleaning liquid described in the application of Arnold Mohn, Serial No.395,476, iled September 26, 1929., which is particularly adapted for use' in this apparatus.

One of the objects of this invention is to pr vide cleaning apparatus of the type described in combination with means for clarifying the liquid so as to remove impurities in solution therein.

Another object is to provide apparatus whereby clarification of the cleaning liquid may be carried out at the same time that the cleaning operation is going on.

Another object is to provide apparatus so arranged that one batch of cleaningliquid may be clarified while another batch is--in use for cleanc ing articles.

. interruption' and clear and fresh cleaning liquid Another object-is to provide such' apparatus of convenient arrangement so that the cleaning operations may be carried on continually without be supplied thereto. c

Another object is tov provide a method or process of cleaningiabric articles in which the cleanging liquid isi'lltered and clarified and returned to' the cleaning chamber. l

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; in whichz- Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus embodying this invention taken on line l-i of Fig. 2. c

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 2--2-4of Figure l. l

Figure 3 is a vertical section showing embodiment of this invention.

The'present invention is closely related to that described in the co-fpending application of John E. Martin, Serial No. 421,853, led January 18, 1930. In the present application, however, no claim .is made covering the specific structure of the cleaning apparatus, such claims being presented in the above mentioned application.

Referring to the drawings, .l designates a cleaning .tub provided with a suitable cover 2. Within the tub is mounted a pedestal t' which has mounted-for rotation thereon abarrel or basket another t adapted to receive the articles to be cleaned.-

The pedestal 3 is hollow and has housed therein `driving mechanism with which the basket t may be connected so as to be rotated either in horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2 in the right hand tub or in inclined position as shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he tub l is divided by a partition 5-into a cleaning chamber and a ltering chamber adapted to contain a ltering medium 6 such as cotton or the' like which is supported upon a perforated floor or partition l l spaced above the oor of the tub so as to provide a collection space for the ltered liquid.

The basket 4 may be mounted in inclined position as shown in Fig.`3 so that the lower edge thereof dips intothe liquid in the cleaning chamber. In this position the articles to be cleaned are placed into. the basket which is then rotated in its inclined position. The basket is provided with a series of partitions or bailies i6 which operate totumble the articles in the liquid during the operation. During this operation some of the cleaning liquid is carried upwardly by the rotation of the basket and drips therefrom or is splashed thereby into the filtering chamber and deposited upon the filtering medium This liquid 'passes downwardly through the 'filtering medium and collects in the space below the partition il'. The partitionf is provided with an opening or port lll communicating with the collection space below the partition i l for a purpose which will be described later. Aslide or gate l5 closes the port IG during normal operation. vThis cleaning apparatus is described and claimed in the j above co-pending application to which reference may be had for further details.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for distilling the cleaning liquid so as to clarify the same. As shown in Figurea 1 and 2, a container il is mounted on a suitable support and is adapted to receive as a cover therefor a second container |19. The container i9 provides an evaporation chamber 2li and may be equipped with suitable heating means such as a steam Acoil 2l. Any other suitable heating meansmay, of course, be used in place of the coil El as, for instance, an electrical heater. Rising from the bottom of the container it is a vertical duct lit. The ductrii is open at itstop to the evaporation chamber 2t and at its bottom to the condensing chamber i8 within the container il.

Mounted within the condensing chamber i8 is a set'of cooling coils Z5. The coils 25 are mounted in the upper part of the chamber i8 to cool and condense the vapors descending through the duct lli. Mounted in the lower partv of the chamber it is a second 'set of cooling coils 25 adapted to cool the condensed liquid which collects in the bottom of this chamber. The evaporation chamber 2li may be .closed by a suitable cover 22.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 there are two each side of the clarier as shown in Figure 2:

Each of these cleaning machines is similar in construction to that describedin the above mentioned application. Each is provided with a pump 9 driven by a motor 42 and connected so as to pump the liquid from the tub i through a pipe or flexible hose 38 to an inlet 32 in the evaporating chamber 2li. This chamber may also be provided with an overflow pipe 43 so as to prevent the liquid rising above the top of 4the duct 4I. Asuitable gauge glass 44 may be provided for the evaporating Vchamber and a similar `gauge-` glass l45 for the condensing chamber. The condensing chamber is provided with one or more outletseach closed by a valve 46 and connected by a flexible tube 41 to the bottom of the cleaning'chamber in the tub I. It will be noted that the support of the clarifier i`s made high enough so that the condensed liquid may drain from the condensing chamber into the cleaning chamber l by gravity.

the space below the partition IlI. From time to time when the cleaningy liquid has become charged with dissolved impurities, the liquid is pumped by means of the pump `9 into the evaporating. chamber 20. The steam is turned on in the coils 2I so as to heat and evaporate the liquid. The resulting vapors pass downwardly through the duct 4I to be cooled and condensed by contact with the cooling coils 25. The condensed liquid collects in the bottom of the chamber 'I8 where itis further cooled by the coils 26. The clarified liquid'may then be returned to the `cleaning chamberfby simply opening the valve 46 so as to allow it to pass by gravity from the condensing chamber to the cleaning chamber.

It will be noted that in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, two or more cleaning machines may be connected with a single clarier. In this way the liquid of one machine may be clarified While cleaning operations are being carried on in the other. By this arrangement one' operator can handle a continuous run of -cleaning operations and at the same time be able to continuously .clarify the cleaningliquid by distillation.

Referringnow to fthe embodiment of Figure 3,

in this .case the cleaning apparatus is mountedabove the clarifying apparatus. A lower container 48 is divided jby a partition 49 into an evaporating chamber: 2D provided with a heating coil 2'I, and a condensing chamber I8 provided with a condensing coil 25 and a cooling coil 26. Communication between the chambers I8 and 20 may be had over the top of the partition 49./

An intermediate housing 58 is `mounted upon zthe container 48 and in' turn carries the cleaning tub I and-its contained articles. Mounted within thexintermediate housing ,5 is the pump 9 the motor 42 and appropriate pipe connections andvalves for controlling the discharge of the liquid. A pipe' 5Il controlled by a valve 52 provides for draining the liquid from the collection space below the partition II into the evaporating chamber 2|).` Branching from the pipe I is a pipe 53 controlled by a valve .54 which leads to the suction end'of the pump 9. The discharge end of thepump" is connected `to a pipe I2 which discharges ,into the cleaning chamber. A pipe4 56 contro1l'ed by,aI valve 51 connects the lower part of thecori- :lensing chamber I8to the suction end of thel pump 9. A vent pipe 58 connects the condens-` ing` chamber I8 with the outer atmosphere.

, e,oo4,e75

Inf the operation of this embodiment of the viously described. The. valve 51 may now be opened and the gate I5 closed and the pump may then be operated to pump clear liquid from v the vchamber I8 into the cleaning chamber.

It will be seen that this embodiment" of theV invention provides a vsimple self-contained unit arranged for easy' operation and vadapted to ymaintain the cleaning liquid always in a-.clean condition. A.,suicient supplyy of liqufi may be maintained so that the clarifying operation may be carried on simultaneously with the cleaning operation. Accordingly, the latter operation may go on continuously without interruption.

It will be seen, therefore, that this invention provides a method and apparatus whereby cleaning operationsof the type described may be carried on continuously byv a single operator. At the same time the cleaning liquid is Jat all times kept in perfect condition as it is clarified both by filtration to remove suspendedimpurities and I by distillation to free it of dissolved impurities. While t is apparatus has been described as adapted for unitary operation, it is obvious that s certa' individual features or sub-combinations may be employedl without reference to other features. It is understood, therefore, that the employment of such features or sub-combinations is contemplated by this invention and is within the scope of the appended claims.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details, ,within the -scope of the appended claims, Withoutv departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood, that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and/or. described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for cleaning fabric articles, a clarifier, comprising an evaporating chamber, heating means therein, a condensing chamber, vapor condensing means in the upper portion of said condensing chamber, and liquid cooling means in the lower portion of said condensing chamber adapted to contact with the liquid therein. f

2. In an Aapparatus. for cleaning fabric ar? ticles, a clarifier, comprising, an evaporating xchamber, heating meansI therein, a condensing chamber, a condensing coil Vin the upper portion of said condensing chamber, and a liquid cooling coil in the bottom of said condensing chamber.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning fabricarticles, a container, a dam upstanding within said container, an evaporating chamber on one side of said dam from lwhich vapors may rise to flow over the dam, and av condensing chamber 'beyond \said dam, said dam having a height i 

